2019 Top 10 store bought allergy free snack foods for kids and toddlers!

I've done a few of these posts over the years, as we have made more and more friends with food allergies, and sensitivities. It seems like our "Food-free" and "allergy" community is growing bigger by the day... It makes me a little sad inside that there are so many children that have so many issues with food, no matter where they stem from, but I know that food companies are getting better and better, and even some new companies have surfaced in that time too! Below is our 2019 top 10 favorite snack for young kids and toddlers, that are store bought, ready to eat snacks, without you having to do ANYTHING! It's great, because sometimes we just need a break... or we're going on vacation, or our kids are going to play at a friends house... The reason we want something quick and easy are nearly unending, so hopefully this will give you some new ideas to keep little hands full, and tummies happy, all the while giving you a moment to breath and relax.  Please note that some of these yummy snacks have peanuts, and a couple of the foods below our top 10 contain egg. Links are available for almost every product listed so you can look and make sure each is safe for your family. With love and admiration, for your willingness to work hard and make food still taste good!
Hugs and Love,
The Allergy Mommy!

TOP 10!!!!
1.) Kind Kids chewy granola bars! (Honey vanilla, chocolate, and PB chocolate chip) These are at most big box stores and online. Around here they average $5 for a box of 10 or $3.50 for a box of 5)
2.)Trader Joes Fruit Buttons (Strawberry, grape, and mango) These are only at Trader Joes, but are $.59 each, and my kids all LOVE them! I even love them haha!
3.)So Delicious coconut milk yogurts. When the kids were younger I only gave them 1/2 the container since they are a bit pricey, but they are at most stores and I haven't had a bad flavor yet!
4.)Cascadian Farms chewy Vanilla chip Granola Bars & Crunchy Honey oat Granola Bars (Cascadian farms has several other safe options, these are just our two favorite by them) These are easily found at Target, and sprouts, as well as vitacost.com and run about $3.50 a box at most places.
5.)"Enjoy Life" Snicker-doodle cookies. These are typically found the gluten free section at the store (walmart does have them in the GF section), but not every store carries them. Also give the ginger-bread cookies a try, they are great too! Check out the whole cookie line HERE They are very soft & chewy!
6.)Gerber Fruit and Veggie Melts , these are the "safe" alternative to the yogurt melts many little kiddos get... They are super tasty, and my kids are always wanting more. Walmart and target both have them, and many other stores have them.
7.)Plum Organics Mashups & Plum Organics Teensy Fruits(do not mix these up with regular plum organics as those have dairy. These are normally found on the fruit cup/fruit pouches isle in most grocery stores, and the teensy fruits are on the baby food isle.)
8.Earth Balance Aged white cheddar puffs (my little ones safe "pirate booty")
9.)Kind Fruit Bites (No sugar added, and truly scrumptious!)
10.)Trader Joes Apples and Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal


Some of our other favorite store bought foods are below. These include things that even you adults will want to munch on. :)

• "Naked" fruit drinks. We love the mighty mango, Red Machine and green machine. Make sure you get the "Naked" brand, as Odwalla brand tends to use soy in a lot of their products!!
• "Al Fresco" sausages ( These are chicken sausages. Aidells also has some chicken sausages that are safe. We love these sausages, especially when we're going to a BBQ with friends, and want to be able to eat something.
• "Stretch Island Fruit co." fruit leathers 
• Trader Joes Mayonaise, and it's soooooo good! (This has EGG!)
• Earth Balance Soy free buttery spread. It's our butter substitute. (red container)
• "Tostitos Natural" organic blue corn tortilla chips w/Herdes mild salsa
• "Dole" Fruit cups. We typically do pears as they are easier on the digestive tract than many fruits
• Corn Tortillas (Not all brands are soy and wheat free, so make sure you read the label) for tacos.
• Cascadian Farms Fruit and Nut, and French Vanilla Almond granola Cereals
• Trader Joes Gluten Free egg Fettuccine pasta (CONTAINS EGG)
• Breanna's Dressings (The poppyseed, and honey Mustard are our favorites)
• Preggo "Market Fresh" Tomato Basil Spaghetti sauce

Dairy free soy free egg free banana oat pancakes!

Hey Friends, I've have a few different posts today, and I couldn't not post my kids favorite pancakes. They are the easiest thing you'll ever make that low allergy, and I feel like they are on the healthier end of "pancakes" haha. So, here they are, Easy as can be!

Banana Oat Pancakes!

Ingredients needed:
One large Banana
Oats (You can do quick or old fashioned, they give different textures so play with them to see what works best for you)
Honey
Cinnamon
vanilla

That's IT! Whew! Now, throw the banana into a cup or bowl and mash it up till it's creamy and add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Add oats till it's a bit sticky, but mostly oats. The banana is the binder. Turn on your stove, and use coconut or avocado oil in the pan, these guys LOVE to stick to the pan, so make sure you have oil down. cook on low until golden on both sides. Pour honey over the top, and add any fresh berries you're not allergic to and EAT UP! Simple as that! They are my favorite, not only because they are simple, and yummy, but they are also pretty inexpensive too!
Hope this finds you having a lovely day!
Love,
The Allergy Mommy!

Good Belly, the probiotic drink I'm jazzed about, that's dairy and soy free!

I've always been a HUGE proponent for probiotics. They are so important to bodies, but they are even more so for sensitive bodies. We used to take prescription probiotics, but found that with time, they gave a strange burp aftertaste that made my kids want to throw up... which, as I'm sure you've guessed, is not great. haha. I've periodically used a drink called goodbelly, that comes in a quart sized container, and was easily found at places like sprouts, and whole foods, but stumbled upon a product that is newer for them, at (of all places) walmart! That's right, Walmart. They are probiotic shots. Small little cups of probiotic drinks, that my kids are happily willing to drink. I take one a day, and they do one every other day, unless they are sick, or around people that are sick. Since my middle kiddo has the most sensitive immune system out of the three kids, she's almost always taking one a day. At our local walmart these guys come in a 4 pack, in 3 different flavors, but there are a lot more flavors available elsewhere. My son loves the PlusShot blueberry and acia, and the girls and I love the StraightShot lemon drop and yumberry! I'll list all of the flavors available below... All in all, we've been able to kick germs faster, and thankfully, avoid some pretty nasty bugs. We still get some, but since starting up on a regular set of these, have greatly lowered the instances, and for $2.79-$3.49 for a 4 pack, it's totally worth it! I'm not affiliated with Good Belly, just really like them, so... Good Belly has a lot more products, all of which are quite tasty, available. If you want to see where you can buy them near you, this is a link to their sites "Store locator".

PlusShot falvors!

Organic PlusShot is packed with billions of belly-balancing probiotics PLUS essential vitamins and calcium. It’s a deliciously fruity, dairy-free shot — the perfect daily dose of the good stuff you need to maintain a healthy, balanced system.* Just a few sips and you’re set for the day.!

StraightShot Flavors!

GoodBelly StraightShot is a gently flavored, dairy-free oatmilk with 20 billion live and active probiotic cultures per serving and no sugar added.† Embrace the feel-tastic freedom you get from GoodBelly StraightShot. It’s everyday probiotic goodness for your gut.

Milk alternative worth trying! Oat Milk!

Good morning Everyone, How am I finding you today? How are the kids? Over here in Anderson-ville, we have a little cold, but life is good. Can I just say, life with MFPI is getting easier as more time goes on... Not that it's an easy thing to deal with, but what stores are offering, that is actually worth eating, is getting better. One of my favorite finds recently is that Oat milk is becoming easier and easier to find, and where is used to be cost prohibitive, it's coming down to where most milk alternatives are. Even silk has it in it's lineup. Some of the great things about oat milk are that it's high in both protein and fiber, but low in fat. A lot of the milk alternatives now days are made from some sort of nut (almond, cashew, coconut), which while nice and high in protein, is also very high in fat. Rice is another alternative, but depending on who is drinking it, and how much, it's also high in sugar, and has the downside of rice having small amounts of arsenic in it. There's some controversy over the whole rice and arsenic thing, so feel free to do your own research on that, and come to your own conclusion. It's not right for us, but it works great for others. :) ANYway, back to milk... Since milk is one of the big sources for kids of both vitamin D and calcium, it's really important that you know how much they are getting, and from what sources. You don't want all of the vitamin D and Calcium to come from "Fortified sources" because their body won't uptake and utilize as much of that, but some is perfectly acceptable, and necessary... Oat milk is also VERY easy to make at home if you are worried about the "Gluten free" side of oats, as I'm sure you've figured out that not all oats are grown equal. If you make it at home, it's a super easy way to ensure that you, or your little one, aren't being "Glutened" as we like to call it. Now, one of the things we love so much about the oatmilk is it's creamy luscious texture. If you have texture kiddos who don't do "grainy", this is a great option to give a try.  One of my FAVORITE oatmilk products actually comes from my favorite dairy free brand, SoDelicious. They sponsored a contest I did a few years back, and they have always been super supportive of my little blog. They make great products, that are becoming easier and easier to find, and that makes life, well, easier. So, I bet you're wondering what my favorite oatmilk product is, aren't you? It's, of course, Ice Cream!!! SoDelicious now has an oatmilk ice cream line, and when I tell you that it's AMAZING, I wholeheartedly mean it. I'm not affiliated with them, I just LOVE their stuff! So, check them out, I promise, THEY ARE AMAZING. haha.

Just for examples sake, we're going to take a look at the silk oatmilk. I'm not in any way affiliated with, nor do I gain benefits from silk in any way, by posting this, so my info is purely for your sake. The information listed is from the info on their website, so feel free to visit them with any questions about their products.
They have 3 "Flavors" available, plain, vanilla and chocolate.

 

Plain Ingredients: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Oat Extract), 2% or less of: Sunflower Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12), Malt Extract, Dipotassium Phosphate,  Gellan Gum, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Ascorbic Acid (to protect freshness).

Vanilla Ingredients: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Oat Extract), 2% or less of: Cane Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12), Malt Extract, Dipotassium Phosphate,  Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (to protect freshness).

Chocolate Ingredients: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Oat Extract), Cane Sugar, 2% or less of: Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Sunflower Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin [B2], Vitamin B12), Malt Extract, Sea Salt, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid (to protect freshness), Natural Flavor.

Diet changes... Stick with what works

Stick with what you know, this keeps your child safe and pain free! I have moms asking me regularly "How do you do it?" "isn't it so hard?" "What do you eat?" and myriad other questions... One that I get asked regularly from allergy moms is "What works for you? We can't seem to get our little one under control, and we're getting frustrated/hopeless!"  What I tell each of them is that each of our journeys, though similar, are very different.  We each have things that work, or do not... Don't look at other moms and think "I wish I could have kids like theirs... no allergies... no regular doctors office visit, etc". But, to answer the question in a light that I dream gives you hope this is what we do...

We are crazy about keeping the stuff our kids cannot have out. There are NO "well, maybe just a little" moments in our life. If you do more than one of those, than you will never know how much of what your child can handle. IF, and this is a BIG IF, we are attempting to add something new to our kids diets, it starts with either a visit or a call over to our ped-GI specialist. She does a weight check or has us go to our local pediatrics office to do one, so that we have a base line. Sometimes reactions are easier to follow when you know where you started... Once we get the ok from her, we have 3 to 4 days of absolutely NO illness, contamination, reactions. This allows for the new food to be isolated, so that we know if there is a reaction, what it has been caused by.  We go 3-6 days on, see how the foods is going (sometimes we don't even make it to three days before knowing it is just not going to work), we then go off for 1 week and see if there is a change in either direction. If it gets to this point without issues, we go for another 7 days with that food. Its also important to note that when we start the food we give them only the smallest amount. Though we have an epi-pen, and do not have any foods thus far that cause an IgE response (anaphylaxis or severe hives), we still have one because of how reactive our children can be. Some doctors prefer to have the child introduce a new food at their office so that if there is a severe reaction there are health professionals immediately there to help.

So, outside of this very controlled introduction to new foods we do not put random things into our kids diets. We have, through trial, error, and removal, found what works for us... If you find something that works for your sensitive little one, look for other foods in the same family (ex: our kids do really well with black beans, so naturally we tried black, pinto, kidney and white beans to mix up the flavors a bit for them while staying in the same family which is normally a great way to stay safe).

Find what works, and stick with it... You know your kiddo best, so be your child's best advocate and give them the best foods while doing everything you can to keep them safe!
Good Luck, and remember, you're an amazing parent that is doing your best, and there will always be good and bad days (inevitably).  Don't be hard on yourself, just keep your head up and give yourself credit for doing the things that you have, to keep your child healthy and happy! :)
Hugs and Love,
The Allergy Mommy!

Recipe Winners!!!!

Ok, so... it has taken us a bit longer to narrow down the recipes we loved most for our 2 weeks of recipes... We are happy to announce the winners, and congratulate them on their incredible ability to make something yummy, out of practically nothing! We know our food lifestyle isn't an easy one, but our "food free" community is making it's little place, and loving it!

Congratulations to Anatolia Gargruten on her So Delicious coconut milk tropical fruit sticky rice... Not only was it Heavenly, but it was safe, and it doesn't get much better than that!

Congratulations to Lana Millson for her Bobs red mill Allergy free Corn Bread. Tastes like the cornbread your mom used to make for you when you were a kid, and they didn't have the gross store bought allergy laden cornbread mixes.

You ladies are a true rare talent, and we are so glad to give prize packs to such wonderful women in our food free life style!

Keep up the hard work everyone, and stay tuned for our next giveaway!!! For now, stay healthy, and stay safe!
Love,
The Allergy Mommy

Week 2 of the Recipe Contest has begun! Bobs Red Mill 4-flour Gluten free Pack to winner!

Week 2 of our recipe challenge has begun,and this week we're focusing on Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free!. Thank you so much to those who submitted recipes for our week of So Delicious! The response was overwhelming, and we are grateful for your enthusiasm! We will be making and testing recipes this week, and a winner for the So Delicious portion will be announced this weekend! 

Today marks the start of week 2 in our Allergy free recipe contest. Each recipe will need to be submitted by email to theallergymommy@gmail.com with the subject line "recipe".

Each submission needs to comply with the following rules:

Submitter must "Like" Bobs Red Mill on Facebook
Become a follower of theallergymommy.blospot.com

Recipe must be submitted by Monday April 8th at 11:59pm MST

Needs to include your full name, email (only to be used if you win to contact you)

The recipe must be:

1. Gluten/wheat Free
2. Egg Free
3. Dairy Free (casein & lactose)
4. Soy Free

During our 2 week of the recipe challenge we will focus on the use of Bobs Red Mill GF flours! products! This week of Bobs Red Mill will run from Today (Tuesday April 2nd) through Monday (April 8th) night at 11:59pm MST. Any submissions received after the close on Monday, will not be accepted in to be a part of this weeks challenge. Bobs Red Mill has been so wonderful to give us a gift pack of four Gluten Free Flours that will be awarded to this weeks recipe winner. So, get to cooking & baking... The winner of the Bobs Red Mill portion of the contest will be announced and contacted within 1 week of the close, after recipes have been tried and found true!  If your recipe does will, but has not complied with the rules stated above, we reserve the right to disqualify your entry, and decide an alternate winner. Last to be noted, but very important, please do not "steal" or copy someone elses recipe, this needs to be your own. We respect the intellectual property of others, and expect you to as well. Big shout out for Bobs Red Mill! Now, get to cooking! 

Updated TOP 10 best store bought Gluten-free Soy-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free Snacks for small kiddos!

So, the original post of this was so popular I figured I should update this list for all of the new fun treats out there. We still LOVE all of the items we put on the first list, but there are a few more we just cannot live without. So, Here are the TOP 10 soy dairy egg and gluten free snacks, and if you need/want more ideas, feel free to go to the Original post!!!!!

1. Kind Kids Chewy peanut butter and chocolate chip granola bars (PEANUT WARNING!)We Love these!!!!
2. So Delicious coconut milk yogurt
3. Enjoy Life Chewy Cookies (our fav is still the snickerdoddles)
4. Happy Baby & Plum Organics fruit pouches (do not get the smoothie or greek yogurt, dairy)
5. Angies Boom Chicka Pop kettle corn Popcorn (target always has it)
6. Nabisco Gluten free Rice thins in original/sea salt
7. Earth Balance Aged white cheddar puffs (my little ones safe "pirate booty")
8. Simply Balanced (archer farms) fruit twists, strawberry mango is our fav! (Target only) and on the same front here with fruit leather, Trader Joes Fruit Buttons!! They're so yum!
9. Plum Organics Fruit Shredz 
10. Food should taste good multigrain chips (our whole family loves these, and there are a few other safe flavors as well, Olive, sweet potato, Blue corn and kettle corn)

Alright, That's our TOP 10 list for now... I'll try to do a post on this every 12 months so that its getting to new fun things to try. I strive to check these labels regularly for any changes that could harm the kiddos we do all of this for, but PLEASE check them on your own as well. As always, check with your doctor before adding anything new into your childs diet, so they are informed and know what to do in the event of an emergency. With love and admiration, for your willingness to work hard and make food still taste good!

Love, The Allergy Momma

Let the Recipes Begin! Allergy Free recipe contest!

Good Morning, and welcome to theallergymommy.blogspot.com!  We hope you find the information here useful & beneficial. Today marks the start of our Allergy free recipe contest. Each recipe will need to be submitted by email to theallergymommy@gmail.com with the subject line "recipe".

Each submission needs to comply with the following rules:

Submitter must "Like" So Delicious on Facebook
Become a follower of theallergymommy.blospot.com

Recipe must be submitted by Monday April 1st at 11:59pm MST

Needs to include your full name, email (only to be used if you win to contact you)

The recipe must be:

1. Gluten/wheat Free
2. Egg Free
3. Dairy Free (casein & lactose)
4. Soy Free

During our 2 week recipe challenge, our first week will focus on the use of So Delcious Coconut milk products! This week of So Delicious will run from Today (tuesday march 26th) through Monday (April 1st) night at 11:59pm MST. Any submissions received after the close on Monday, will not be accepted in to be a part of this weeks challenge. So Delicious has been so wonderful to give us 2 coupons for free product that will be awarded to this weeks recipe winner, as well as a copy of their new book for the grand prize winner at the very end of the recipe challenge in 2 weeks. So, get to cooking & baking... The winner of the So delicious portion of the contest will be announced and contacted within 1 week of the close, after recipes have been tried and found true!  If your recipe does will, but has not complied with the rules stated above, we reserve the right to disqualify your entry, and decide an alternate winner. Last to be noted, but very important, please do not "steal" or copy someone elses recipe, this needs to be your own. We respect the intellectual property of others, and expect you to as well. Big shout out for So Delicious, for being , well, So DELICIOUS! Now, get to cooking! 

Recipe Contest with Prizes from SoDelicious & Bobs Red Mill!

Hello my Friends, It is with great pleasure I announce our upcoming recipe contest. This has been a definite work in progress, and as we are currently packing for our big move back to California, I have been working on getting a contest going... Since every contest is so much more fun with a prize, SoDelicious and Bobs Red Mill have been so gracious as to donate some treats for you to work for! Our first week is going to be centered around recipes using SoDelicious Coconut milk products with the prize up for grabs being 2 certificates for a free SoDelicious item of your choice. Our second week is going to be centered around recipes using Bobs Red Mill gluten free flours, with the prize being a 4 pack of white rice flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour and tapioca flour delivered to you directly from our beloved Bobs Red Mill! All recipes must be gluten/egg/dairy/soy free so that everyone who is a part of our blog community can partake in the sweet delights that come from the submissions. We are so excited and really hoping to get some wonderful recipes to share with all of you. More details to come the day before our first week start (march 25th), so stay tuned, and tell your friends! As always, may this help you on your journey towards a "food free" lifestyle that leave you craving more of what you can, and less of what you shouldn't!
Love,
The Allergy Mommy!

Bobs Red Mill

SoDelicious Coconut milks

Allergy free Guacamole!

So, one of the hardest things about our food lifestyle, is that going to parties and get togethers can get scary and nearly impossible to enjoy, especially while eating. One great item we regularly bring with us, that is always a big hit, is Guacamole!  You can easily make a large portion of it, and it can be VERY yummy, if made right! :) Here is my recipe for "food free" guac, that has never let me down. It is great coupled with Tostitos Natural Blue or yellow corn tortilla chips, which are safe as well!

Allergy Mommy's "Food Free" Guac:
Ingredients:
5-6 ripe avocados
1/2 cup Herdes mild salsa (or medium if you want it to be more spicy)
Juice from 1 ripe lime
1 tbsp of chipotle flavored Tabasco
1 tbsp fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
Possibly salt (to taste)

Directions:
Cut avocados in half, and use a spoon to pop them out from the shell in complete halves. Cut them only slightly, leaving large chunks still. Add lime juice and stir. This will cause the chunks to get smaller but still be chunky. add the salsa and Tabasco  and stir. Taste, and add salt &/or more chipotle Tabasco if desired. Once you like the flavoring, add the cilantro. I typically add the cilantro last, because it's flavor can override the other flavors when it's first put in, so to make sure it taste good outside the cilantro I add it last. If the chunks are too large at this point, for what you like, just stir a little more, and this will make them smaller over time, we just like chunky guac!

Chill, and then Enjoy!
Side note here: This is also really yummy on burgers!

As always, I hope this helps you on your journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leaves you craving more of the foods you have, and less of the ones you shouldn't!
Love, The Allergy Mommy

Enjoy Life e-cookbook! for free!!!

A friend of mine pointed out the most marvelous thing to me today! Enjoy Life, my absolute favorite allergy free brand, has a free e-cookbook! Now, I absolutely LOOOOOVE their treat cookbook "Cookies for everyone", so I'm assuming this one will be on the top of my list as well. I hope you "enjoy", haha! As always, may this help you on your journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leaves you craving more of what you have, and less of what you shouldn't!
Love, The Allergy Mommy

Click the cookbook to go to the download page!

Allergy free Bread Crumbs!

So, one of the things I really missed when we took gluten/wheat out was being able to make home-made chicken fingers/nuggets and those lovely Italian dishes like Chicken Parmesan, which require you to bread coat your chicken... I had never thought to try to find safe bread crumbs, then last spring stumbled upon these lovely options while meandering around soap.com. Gillian's Gluten Free Bread Crumbs!They are made from rice flours, and have VERY few ingredients. I was skeptical at first, but figured it was worth a shot, for the sheer meal options it had the potential to open up! I ordered, and waited (impatiently might I add), I received... I pondered, what on earth was I going to start with! Finally, I made a decision. Chicken Parmesan  My hubby was elated at the idea of having his favorite meal again, finally! I went to the deli, purchased just enough cheese to make dinner for whomever was going to be with us, that could actually eat cheese, and got started. I coated them in the flour first, then canola oil, then dipped them in the bread crumbs... VIOLA! Placed them gently on the skillet and hoped and prayed it would turn out ok... Alas, my wait was over. They were splendid. Honestly, you couldn't tell the difference between these and normal bread crumbs, especially after the cooking was all done. Right out of the container, the grains are larger than in your typical "bread crumb", but don't let that fool you. These are great! So, give them a try... You might find yourself secretly wishing you had purchased all 3 flavors the first time around! As always, I hope this helps you in your journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leaves you craving more of what you have, and less of what you shouldn't!

Love, The Allergy Mommy!

Quick list of Grocery store needs when learning to cook for MFPI

While chatting with some new friends yesterday I realized there was an important post I had failed to write... The basics grocery needs every "food free" fridge and pantry needs to cook somewhat normal food. Hopefully this list will help you with getting the basics while you figure out what your more regular needs are going to be.

• Brown or White rice flour by Bobs Red Mill!
• Pick one other type of gluten free flour: Sorghum & millet are regularly used in recipes, so either of these is a good choice.
• Earth Balance soy free "buttery spread" or Earth balance Coconut spread (coconut butter): This will be your butter substitute. The buttery spread tastes a lot like margarine, and the coconut butter is great in oatmeal or on toast with jam/preserves.
• Coconut, flax or Almond milk: I would get the unsweetened almond to start if you are used to 2% or whole milk, and the coconut or flax if you are used to 1% or non-fat, as the tastes are more similar in these matches. We prefer SoDelicious Coconut milk
• Spectrum Coconut/flax Oil/canola/olive oils. Vegetable oil typically contains a large amount of soy. Spectrum oil are high quality oils with superior taste, and are Organic to boot! If you are a big baker, I would also pick up a container of the spectrum shortening to replace any baked goods that call for crisco (crisco contains soybean oil, and many other things you should not be ingesting. 
• Ener-G egg replacer: This will be used in your baked good in the place of any eggs that are called for. Warning, this does not work with things that are primarily egg based ie: Angel food cake.
• Vegenaise soy free: This is your mayo replacement
• Brianna's dressings or Kraft "olive oil" dressings: The Kraft Italian olive oil dressing is safe, as well as the honey mustard and poppy-seed dressings by Brianna's. Both of these can be found at walmart super stores, as well as more health food store carry the Brianna's..
• Xanthan gum: This is what will hold you baked goods together, since you won't have the gluten in your flour to do that for you. Many gluten free recipes call for either Xanthan gum or Guar gum. We like Bobs Red Mill best!
• Loaf of Food for life brown rice bread (you'll want something that is quick and easy to snack on, it's great with both of the butter options and jam or honey!
• A breakfast cereal. There are several available at most "big-box" store that are "food free". They aren't intensely flavorful, but they work when you need some food quick, without too much fuss. Gluten free rice krispies, gluten free corn or rice checks, gluten free fruity pebbles (who knew, right), kix, cheerios, and a few of the health food brand Kashi (but I think these taste awful!).
• Lots of fruit and Veggies, and a really high quality vitamin!

There are always going to be other items you will need, but this is a good staple list to get you started so you're not starving! If you need some help finding more "staple" foods, feel free to email me, and I'll do the best I can to help! But, As always, may this help you on your journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leave you craving more of the foods you have and less of the foods you shouldn't!

Love, The allergy Mommy!

Cows milk subs for Toddlers, kids, and Adults!

Now, let me start off this post by prefacing that ANY change made to a sensitive child/baby's diet should ALWAYS be consulted with a doctor, especially if this will be your child main source of nutrition. Now, with that said, here is our milk subs list that we love oh so much, and a little blurp on why we think they are each so awesome! Also, with milk being my 20 month old's main source of nutrition, we have very carefully examined each milk, and made sure that these were adequate in the things her body needs to thrive. Just because a child/Baby's weight is fine, does not mean they are healthy. They need a variety of food groups and fat types, fruits & veggies etc. The more restrictions you have for your child's diet, the harder it is to have the complete range of what they need. If your child is VERY sensitive to wide spectrum of foods/groups, you may want to ask your doctor about supplementing Metagenics Ultracare in their diet. Read more at the metagenics website to know what it's all about. We think it's great, and Kelly Dorfman M.S. & L.N.D. even has it as part of her "kelly's Yummy Cow-free milk recipe", which can be found in her amazing book on page 78. These milks should NEVER substitute infant formula or breast milk, as they are seriously lacking in many vitamins and fats that infants and young babies need. Consult your doctor & read the book I mentioned by Kelly dorfman to get for info on why... Alright, So, here it goes...

1. Unsweetened Coconut milk- we Love the rich and creamy texture that comes with coconut  milk. It is velvety smooth, and it quite simply splendid in smoothies, or in being used to make safe ice-cream. I make my cakes with the canned coconut milk (more like cream), but this is much too thick to drink, and I don't think it tastes as good to drink, but whatever you do DO NOT buy thai kitchen canned coconut  milk... It's awful.You can buy the drinkable coconut milk in 1/2 gallon and 1 liter sizes, by So Delicious, Silk, and Coconut Dream . The half gallon is typically in the refrigerated section, and 1 liter containers can be found all over but are found often with either food storage items or coffee. 
2. Almond Milk- Almond milk is much better for cooking as it is not as sweet and fruity tasting. Like wise, it is inferior to coconut milk for smoothing and cakes, because it lacks the sweet taste that comes naturally with coconut milk. One advantage it has, is that you can find it in unsweetened vanilla, which is oh so yummy!!! Almond milk has many producers, but our favorite ones are Almond breeze, So delicious, and Silk!  These are the companies that make an unsweetened vanilla, which is what we prefer!    
3. Flax milk- This too has a much sweeter taste. Similar, but more flavorful, to rice milk. It's health benefits are superior to any of the aforementioned, but it's been our experience that little tummies can NOT handle much of it at a time. We chose flax milk to add in small amounts to our daughters mix, because it has a wide  ange of vitamins and fats that cannot be found in any other milk. It is too thin to bake with, but it is very nice to drink. It can be found in 1/2 gallon size, in the refrigerated section of nearly any health food stores, and even some big-box stores. 

We typically do a mostly 50/50 with 1/2 oz-1 oz of flax milk in each cup my 20 month old drink. We do the unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and the original unsweetened flax milk.
 

We never use soy milk for our selves or our children. There are too many studies pointing to the imbalances it can cause, especially in little bodies. If your child does not have a soy allergy, we have still had every pediatrician recommend that all children should consume as little soy as possible.
As always, I hope this helps you on your journey to a "food Free' lifestyle that leaves you craving more of what you have, and less of what you shouldn't!
Love, The Allergy Mommy!

You are NOT alone in MFPI!

Hello, to all the Mommies out there... This post is simply to give you some hope... I have met several women recently in my learning/education of nutrition and dietetics for children with that painful and down right difficult diagnosis of MFPI (multiple food protein intolerance). I feel like we have all had something in common, and that's the feeling of being alone in our journey of keeping our children happy and healthy. But I'm going to tell you something now: You are NOT alone, not by a long shot. Our community of food intolerance's is ever growing, and at a scary quick rate at that.  Most of us have seen dozens of doctors, had hundreds of blood/lab tests performed, and have spent countless hours cleaning up vomit and diarrhea from a dear sweet darling that ingested something that just didn't work in their sensitive bodies.  If you are new to our community, there are a few resources I feel that every mom here should read (and re-read 10 times haha).  If you do not have the means to purchase the books some of them can be found at your local library (if they are a good and decently large library). The cookbooks are typically not at the library, but you want to always have these on hand anyway. Alright, here's the list (and please, if you know of any books out there that are informative, and fact/study based, please share so that we all can learn more).

1. Whats eating your child This is my absolute FAVORITE book, it's a must read for our community.
2. The art of baking with natural yeast This is a great resourse to help start making your own safe breads.
3. Cookies for everyone cookbook Treat cookbook for top 9 allergens by Enjoy Life (my fav safe brand)
4. Food Allergy Great book for adjusting and thriving in your new lifestyle
5. Learning to bake allergen free Another great resource for baking without our sensitivities. 
6. Food allergy vs intolerance article at mayo-clinic. This is short, but good for those of you who are just delving in to this new lifestyle. A few tips on what to look for, what is an emergency and what is just going to be uncomfortable for a bit.
7.  http://www.food-allergy.org/  has some good tips, and helps to normalize the process in the beginning

I hope these help you, and as always I hope this helps you on your journey to a "Food Free" lifestyle that leaves you wanting more of what you have, and craving less of what you shouldn't!

Love, The Allergy Mommy

The frustration with Doctors... and finding a new one!

Hello Mommies, I have had a few different emails lately about the frustration of Doctors, and their unwillingness to actually help. Before we moved to our current location for school, I had the best doctors on the face of the planet. I simply LOVED them. AND for anyone in the Sacramento, CA area that is having these issues... You should try to get on with them. Dr.Yinka Davies (pediatric gastroenterology) and Dr.Laura Sorgea (Pediatric PC)... Anyway, they were the most proactive, loving, and devoted Doctors. BUT, we didn't come by them easily, and replacing them now that we are in a new place, has proved nearly impossible. We really lucked out, and have an incredible pediatrician here. She cares, and is really good at what she does. So, what I wanted to do with this post, is talk about what to look for in a doctor, and why these things are so important, especially when you're trying to find a specialist in pediatrics, as children depend on us to advocate for them... So, here we go.
1.When you go to the doctor because your child is having trouble keeping food in, whether they are losing food through vomiting or diarrhea, or if they are refusing food all together you should never accept "That's ok, this is normal, it will subside".. or "The child weight is fine, so they should grow out of this"... or my personal Favorite "this happens with a lot of children we see", plus any other myriad of responses here. A vomiting child, a child with constant diarrhea, or a child that does not eat is NOT normal. Nor is a child with constant constipation, excessive gas or burping, or a child that constantly cries.  If a Doctor you see tells you this, to me it is there way of saying "I've seen it, don't know what to do to fix it, and I'm not about to do anything to figure out how I can". You as their Mother, or father, know things the doctors do not. You may not have been through years of medical school, rotations, and a residency, but you're not brain dead either. If you are reading my blog, than you must at very least have an inkling that something isn't quite right. There is a chance that there is absolutely nothing wrong but a slightly finicky digestive system, but as a mommy I'm not willing to take the chance until every resource has been tapped, and every scan has been run, every test has been proven, and every option tried. These are our babies, and we have a duty to advocate for them. To fight when they need help, and not take the easy route, because it's less expensive or more convenient.
I'm here to tell you, our road is not always an easy, but I promise you 10 times over, it will ALWAYS be worth it. Your child will always be worth the extra effort, and they will always be grateful you did everything you could to give them the best possible life and comforts you could afford them.
So, in this long, arduous, and at times painfully discouraging, journey we are on, find each other! Be there for one another, and help when you can. It lightens the load and burden to know that you are not alone, and as long as you don't want to be, you never will be. I'm grateful every moment of my day for the tender mercies a loving Heavenly Father has so sweetly blessed me with. I will never completely understand each individual circumstance that comes my way, but I promise, I will always have love and empathy for your struggles, and do all that I can to lighten the load this new life may bring! As always, may this help you on this journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leaves you craving more of what you have, and less of what you shouldn't!
Love, The Allergy Mommy!

Peanut Butter to melt in your mouth!

So a friend of mine that I visited with today, who has a sweet little man that is allergic to soy dairy & egg, spoiled me with a few new ideas for treats today. One of which is this lovely little jar of sweet wholesome goodness! In her words "it's like eating a Reese's Peanut butter cup!" Now, I don't know about you, but SIGN ME UP! Now, one thing you do need to be aware of is that this DOES contain cocoa butter (chocolate), so if you have a chocolate allergy as well, you should steer clear.  If not, by all means, eat up and Enjoy!  You can find info on all of there products HERE, or if you want the info on this actual little delight, click the jar!

I'm thinking a batch of peanut butter cookies with this is in my VERY near future! Recipe on that to come! As always, may this help you on your journey to a "food free" lifestyle that leaves you craving more of what you have, and less of what you shouldn't!

Love, The allergy Mommy!

Almond flour Blueberry Pancakes

While searching on the net today for a yummy recipe for better pancakes than I have been making, I stumbled on this recipe! The only downside to this recipe is that it contains egg, but I'm sure with some tweaking I will be able to get the perfect pancake, especially after some trial and error. :) This Lovely recipe is brought to us by The Urban Poser, who has tons of great recipes might I add. So, thank you Urban poser for creating a wonderful recipe for us to share. Ladies, please check out her blog, there are TONS of other recipes that I think you would all find very helpful in making good food, that is safe for all. Happy eating!
Love,
The Allergy Mommy

Perfect Dairy Free Almond Flour Pancakes (Grain/Dairy Free)

by:The Urban Poser

1 1/2 cups  fine ground blanched almond flour 

1/2 tsp baking soda.

1/4-1/2 tsp  salt

1/2 tsp   cinnamon(optional) 

3 large  eggs (or equivalent pastured eggs)

4-5 Tbls full fat coconut milk(Natural Value has a guar gum free version or try subbing any liquid here)

2 Tbls  honey

1 tsp vanilla or juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup fruit (optional)

Oil for frying

In a medium bowl, sift and/or mix together the almond flour, baking soda salt and optional spice.

In a separate bowl, blend together the eggs, coconut milk  honey and vanilla.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix well. Let rest for a few minutes.PrePre-heat your pan over medium heat(I use cast iron). Watch the heat closely, it likes to climb. If it gets too hot, not only will the pancakes burn, they will be badly shaped and hard to flip. This will vary depending on your stove top and pan. I like to use cast iron.

Add batter to pan.  If you have trouble flipping the pancakes, try making them silver dollar sized.

Fry the pancake till it starts to bubble and the edges just start to form(and dry a bit). If they start cooking to quickly (burning before it's time to flip) then adjust the heat. Every stove top is different. Flip over carefully using a THIN METAL spatula. Continue to cook till the pancake firms up.

Makes about 25-30 silver dollar size pancakes

If needed, keep pancakes in a warm oven. There pancakes freeze and reheat well. I like to make them ahead of time, freeze them then put them in the toaster to reheat!

Top with honey or your favorite natural sweetener and or cold coconut cream. 

Hidden names of Soy... and one way to replace soy sauce!

This post is to address the dangerous forms of hidden soy. For us, soy is one of our worst allergens. Even the most insignificant amount of soy lecithin wreak havoc on my youngest daughters digestive system.  For us, soy causes Blood in her diapers, vomiting, crankiness/fussiness, inability to sleep/rest, teething like symptoms (drooling, chewing on finger etc), unquenchable thirst, and diarrhea. So, we take soy very seriously in our home, along with dairy. We are grateful that her reactions are not anaphylactic, but we still have to take every precaution to keep it at the greatest distance possible. Now, as she is getting older, her reactions are getting less severe and last a shorter period of time. We are unsure of whether or not she will grow out of these reactions to the greater extent, like our older daughter has, or if hers will be lifelong struggles, but it's safe to say that we stay away for now.  Soy is one of the hardest ingredients to steer clear of, as it is an additive in everything. Why? you might ask... Because it's cheap, and sustainable. Now, I promise not to jump on my anti-soy soapbox here, but my own opinion here, soy wreaks havoc on every body... it's just some are more easily noticeable.  Like in our little ones. Soy has MANY hidden names, so this is the most comprehensive list I could find (of course at my favorite allergy site for the basic info like this www.kidswithfoodallergies.org )

The following ingredients found on a label indicate the presence of soy protein. All labels should be read carefully before consuming a product, even if it has been used safely in the past. 

Contain Soy:

Edamame (soybeans in pods) Hydrolyzed soy protein Kinnoko flour Kyodofu (freeze dried tofu) Miso Natto Okara (soy pulp) Shoyu sauce Soy albumin Soy bran Soy concentrate Soy fiber Soy flour Soy formula Soy grits Soy milk Soy miso Soy nuts Soy nut butter Soy protein, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate

Soy sauce Soy sprouts Soya Soya Flour Soybeans Soybean granules Soybean curd Soybean flour Soy lecithin* Soybean paste Supro Tamari Tempeh Teriyaki sauce Textured soy flour (TSF) Textured soy protein (TSP) Textured vegetable protein (TVP) Tofu Yakidofu Yuba (bean curd)

*Products that are covered by the FDA labeling laws and contain soy lecithin must be labeled "contains soy".

May Contain Soy:

Artificial flavoring

Asian foods (e.g. Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc.)

Hydrolyzed plant protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Natural flavoring
Vegetable broth
Vegetable gum
Vegetable starch 

So, if you are anything like us, you like a good stir-fry. Yummy, filled with veggies and quick on those busy nights... That's where this lovely little gem comes in to play. It's called coconut aminos, and info on it can be found HERE.  You can find it at most health food stores like whole foods, good earth, sprouts and nugget market (I'm sure many other stores carry it, I just know I've found it at these store before).  It costs between 6.50 and 10.00 for the bottle, It's around 7.00 at sprouts market! It is the closest thing to tasting like soy sauce to make a lovely stir-fry from scratch. Word to the wise, this is VERY potent, and takes only a tiny amount to get some serious flavor, so use in small amounts and add more if more flavor is desired.  Outside of this, I have yet to find something that tastes like soy sauce, but doesn't contain soy.  

I hope this will help you to more easily solve your puzzle in ridding your diet of soy.  It is a difficult journey, but well worth the hard work when you get results worth working hard for.  Good luck, and as always, if you have any questions comments or extra info to add, I'm always an email away.

Hugs, The Allergy Mommy